Grasshopper Inspired Locomotion in Tensegrity Robots

Tensegrities are soft robots which are being developed by entities such as NASA for their ability to transverse difficult and unknown terrain with limited damage to themselves and the environment. However, tensegrities are also known to be difficult to model and move in meaningful ways. A tensegrity robot which could move in efficient, predictable ways such as a grasshopper would have many practical uses such as for exploration in unknown environments and difficult terrain. Using a natural muscle inspired model might be conducive to complex tensegrity movement and provide some further insight on animal locomotion.